Remembering the occupation of “Araucanía”: Mapuche students’ repeated reproduction of historical texts

Historically, several views exist about the occupation of Mapuche lands at the end of the XIX century in Chile: A traditional view emphasizes the idea of occupation performed by the Chilean army, to ensure economic development and progress. This view also includes, in some cases, a prejudicious and racist conception of indigenous people. On the other hand, more contemporary views emphasize the violence through which the Chilean army took Mapuche lands, and the consequences of the occupation, such as in transforming the Mapuche into poor farmers. While it is known that both views are usually present in contemporary history texts, what remains unknown is how these events are remembered by Mapuche students. This exploratory study examines the narratives of Mapuche students about the Occupation of Araucanía, applying Bartlett’s method of repeated reproduction. 25 high school Mapuche students from the city of Cañete, in the Bio-bío region of Chile, participated. Their reproductions were analyzed through a Narrative Analysis based on Burke’s Pentad. Findings revealed an increase in the complexity of the narratives, mostly in the second reproduction. This was mainly done by increasing the number of narrative agents and accentuating the narrative actions. These changes in the reproductions show the incorporation of personal notions that are culturally guided by the wider community. In this way, the study shows that the texts referring to the Occupation of Araucanía can act as mediating semiotic resources that contribute to the construction of new meanings during the remembering process.